Walter McMackon – Rural Diary Archive

Image description: Three diaries placed on a white quilt, with one red, one black, and one burgundy-colored book. These are diaries of Walter McMackon covering his life from 1906 to 1911.

Coverage Dates: 1906 to 1911

County: Kent, Simcoe

Township: Orford, Sunnidale

Gender: Male

Year of Birth: 1887

Year of Death: 1968

Ethnicity: Irish

Religion: Methodist

Occupation: labourer, book-keeper, farmer

Relationships:

Father: diarist David McMackon
Mother: Susan Stone
Wife: Clifford McKever
Daughters: Evelyn, Bernice, Dorothy
Brothers: Thomas, Gordon, Richard
Sisters: Martha, Laura, Grace

Archive: Archival and Special Collections, University of Guelph

Posted on Rural Diary Archive: Yes

Age During Diary: 19-24

Coverage: 3 years

Biography:

After finishing high school in Chatham, Walter works in his father’s cooper business, then attends the Canada Business College in Chatham in 1906. Later that year, he works as a book-keeper in Detroit. After working at various jobs throughout 1910, he returns home in 1911 and moves with his family to Angus in April where he takes up farming the acreage his father had purchased for a new mill. His original diaries contain accounts and addresses. He enlivens his entries with a sense of humour as he finds his way in life.

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